Heat and sound insulating block



Sept. 6, 1932. w. K. NELSON HET AND SOUND INSULATING BLOCK Sept. 6, 1932. y w. K. NELSON HEAT AND SOUND INSULATING BLOGK l,876,071- V f V V VV Filed March 14. 1928 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 z. v .2 Shi V. V. .4 f.. 1

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Patente' sept. 6, 1932.

UNITED STATES PATENT *OFFICE WILLIAM K. NELSON, OF CHICAGO, IILINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'I'O 'UNIVERSAL GYPSUM &

LIKE C0., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWABE HEAT SOUND INSULATING BLOGK Applioationvflled larchili, 1928. .Serial Ro. 261,667.

sound lnsulating blocks and particularl to.

blocks the cores -or body portions of` w ich are formedpfa composition material adapted to set or harden in cellular condition such, for example, as the material'described and claimed in Ashenhurst Reissue Patent No. 15,952 of November 25, 1924, and that described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,641,- 641 of Se tember 6, 1927.

One oV the objects of m invention is the provision vof a novel an improved Nblock Which shall be .inex ensive and easy to manufacture of mater1als 'readily available in ample quantities at numerous places, require i simple and inexpensive/ apparatus or equipment for 1ts manu'facture, be economlcal and convenient to handle, trans ort, and install,

not likely to be lbroken w en handled or shipped, resistant to fire, not subject to disintegration, unattractive as a breeding place for pests, such as rats, mice and the like, and highly resistant to the transmission of heat and sound.

A further object -of my invention is to provide for a block having a cellular gypsuni core of the type mentioned, covering means extending over one or more of the sides or terially the insulation value of the block, to. reenforce 'and strengthen the core and to cushion the core against any shocks it may be subj'ectedv to in handling or shipping,

thereby. protecting the core from breakage or serious damage. PreferablyI employ c'overing means comprising two fibrous, superposed sheets secured together and so ar- I'anged' that numerous voids or air s aces' will be provided therebetween. I ave found that a corrugated sheet secured to a plain Ior non-corrugated sheet provide a practical and efficient covering means for a fragile core of the type mentioned.-

If a block of the type mentioned is to have satisfactory insulation value, t e core thereof must be highly cellular and light in weight. Such a core in itself, however, has little strength, is very fragile and it mustbe reenforced and protected in some manner to make a practical structure. It is not possi- 'ble to obtain satisfactory adhesion between a core, having the characteristics mentioned, and fibrous cover sheets which only extend over oneface or side of the core; and, unless such sheets firmly adhere to the core, the resultant structure will be weak. It is another object of my invention to provide an eflicient and practical covering means for the core of the block which shall be securely bonded to the core and ada ted, in combination with 00 the core, to provi e a block of high insulation value, light in weight and capable of withstanding the shocks and-strains to which it is\ likely to be subjected without being broken or damaged. This object of my invention can be attained by making the covering means in f-the form of a wrapper, sheath or envelopv -means, inspread-.out or opened-.up condition and then the material for the cellular core is cast within 'the wrapper. lIn`such a construction, the bondin action between the core and the wrappei` 1s presentin two V lanes at right angles to each other. The ,80' ending effect mentioned prevents the core from becoming loose or slipping away from the -wrapper; and it further results in` strengthening and reenforcing 'the block by making the core and the wrapper ineifect an integral or unitary construction;

Blocks of the type under consideration are v ordinarily rectangular in shape and they are usually much longer .than wide. When breakage does Voccur, the break usually extends transversely of the block. It is another object' of my invention to rovide al Wrapper for .the core of theflbloc so constructed of corrugated and non-corrugated sheets that the corrugations will extend 95v lengthwise of the block and thus insure maximum resistance to transverse breakage.

It is another object of my invention to improve heat and sound insulating clocks and tails hereinafter pointed out. Certain pre- I ferred types of blocks and suitable means for drawings,

z completely and 13 extend com -fl the block and in t e particular embodiment Fi 1 Figjl is a perspective view of another type of heat and sound insulating block alsoembodying certain principles of my invention;

Fig. 4 is' a fragmentary Sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line V4--4 of Fig. 3,;

ig. 5 is a perspective view .of a fragmentary portion of the wrapper surrounding the block shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

' Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fra mentary portion of a mold suitable for mafin`my improved blocks; and

ig. 7 is a transverse .Sectional view, on a reduced scale, of a portion of a wall showing how different types of blocks made in accordance with my invention ma be se-.

'cured in place between the wall stu s.

Like characters of reference designate like parts inthe several views.-

'Referringfirst to Figs. 1 and` 2 of the in shown comprises a cellular core or -body portion 10 disposed within a tube-like or sheath-like covering or wrap r 11l which extends around the core for ody--portion covering: both side faces and both edge'faces thereof. In this embodiment of my invention the core comprisesa corrugated fibrous sheet 12 in superposed relation and co-extensive zwith a plain or non-corrugated fibrous sheet 13; the sheet` 13 being secured to .the sheet 12- alon the en ed corrugations by'any suitablegadhesivfgsuch as glue. The sheets 12 letely around the core of shown the free edges of the sheet 12 are overlapped and glued.l together at 14 while free edges of the sheet 13 are overlappen and secured together at 15. The block described is intended for use in the insulation of the side walls or ceiling of a frame house and is approximately three inches thick, fourteen and three-eighths inches in widthand `thirtysix inches in length." zIt will be noted that the sheet 12 is disposed around the' core Vso that its corrugations extend lengthwise of the block thereby insuring'maximum resistance to transverse breakage of the relatively lon; fragile core.

e block illustrated in Figs.'3 and 4 is..

it will be seen that the block there-t the covering or wrapper for\ the o .asto

similar in construction to' that heretofore described, but the cellular core 16 thereof 'is surrounded by a wrapper 17 of considerably stronger construction than that shown in Figs. 1Y and 2. i As is clearl, shown in Fig. 4, the wallsof the wrapper 1 comprise cushioning means in the for-m lof a.. corrugated 4sheet 18 interposed between and securedV to inner and outer plainor noncorrugated facingfsheets or `liners.194 and 20, respectively. 4The sheets 18, 19 and 20 extend over both side faces and both edge faces of the'core -1'6 and' 'com letely. surround the coreof the block. 'lille free ends of said sheets 18.',119

`and 20 are brought together atone corne'r of strip of In this p thevwrapper and are`secur`ed by a adhesive paper or cloth tape 21.

embodiment of my invention, the sheet 18 lis arranged so Vthat its corrugations` extend lengthwise of the block. The wra per 17 is. further reenforced by fastener-hol ing strips 22 which extend lengthwise of the block and which maybe made from 'any suitable material such as heavy paper stock, said strips preferably being secured by a suitable adesiveV to certam areas of the wrapper sheet 20.

The wrappers 11 and 17' are preferably made comp ete before theV casting of the core material takes'place.` The wrappers may be made of any suitable sheet materialV atthe place where the blocks are made or the wraprs 'may be made. in a factory specializing m such products. The wrappers are preferabl constructed so that they 'mayz be readily co apsed into flatpform for convenience and economy of space .in ship ing, storing and handling. The wrap r 1 forexample, is

.shown in collapsed orm`in`` Fig. 5 of the drawings." To facilitate collapsing the wrapcorner's` on per are 5 on t e longitudinally extending dotted lines 23. I prefer the corrugations in the the block, the walls of the wrapsheets 12 and U18 to-Ibe mall rather than,

large, the smaller corrugations being more suitable-in that they .provide stronger surfaces. When the corrugations are relatively numerous andin direct'contact with the core referably scored, as indicated in Fig.

'per and obtaining smooth,square 'and trueas shown in Fis. 1 and '2, the bondingaction is greater e to the keying or looking efiect produced. The corrugated andplain sheets forming the' walls of the vwrappers are preferably made of a material of -a fibrousnature and they may be treated so ss .moisture resisting and fireproofing qualities by any well known means.

In' Fig. 6' of the drawings, I have illustrated a mold suitablefor holding .a plurality of the tube-like wrappers in spreadout or -opened condition while the material forthe cellular cores is poured within the respective wrappers. The mold illustrated comprises .a 'bottom' member 24 fastened 'on supporting members 25, a back wall 26, end walls 27 (only one being shown), and a front wall 28. 'The back wall 26 and the end walls 27 are preferably secured in fixed relatlqn to each 'other and to the bottom member 24 by any suitable means. The front wall 28 is swingingly connected'to the bottom `channels 31 adapted to receive partitioning plates 32.` -It will be apparent that vertical.

compartments of various widths may readily be formed by shifting one or more of the lio veach compartment. The to ,ings severalv ways`in whic partitioning plates 32 from one set of grooves to another set. In preparing to cast the cellular gypsum cores, the front wall 28 of the, mold is dropped down and each of the partition plates 32 isA placed in its pro er groove in the back, wall. A thin meta late 33 preferably of brassand of 'the widt of the block to be formed is placed in the bottom'of surfaces of the plates 33 are then grease to prevent -the core mixture from sticln'ng thereto and then the front wall 28 is swung up into its vertical position and locked in place, care being taken to see that the front edges of the respective partition lates are disposed in the proper grooves of t e front wall. A wrapper 1s then spread out or opened up and placed on` end in each mold-like or vertical compartment, `wrappers of the type illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 being shown in place in three compartments of the mold. A 1 suflicient quantity of the fluid mix to form the cellu- ...z lar'xgypsnm core `is then poured into each wrapper and is cast in bonding relation with-' in the wrapper. The material for the cores readily rises to the top of the mold-like wrappers and is leveled off by a suitable tool by a screedingftor trowelling action. After the core material has set or hardened sulficiently to hold its shape thef side wall 28 of the mold is dropped and the green blocks may then be removed from the mold and stored where the ma dry in the air, or they may be dried m a iln, to eliminate the excess moisture from the body portionsg of the blocks. f

I have illustrated in Fi 7 of the drawthe blocks may be' secure'd in place between the studsof .a wall. The blocks 34 are approximatel equal in thickness to the width of the' wa l studs 35. It will be noted that the blocksl are positioned from the inside, between the studs, against the sheathing 36 'and are secured in Jplace by'toe-nailing, as shown. The block 37 is approximately three inches in thickness and is shown as being held in place by'nailing strips` 38. The block 39 is approximately twginches in thickness yand is held in place b nai'lswhich pass through the longitudina 1% extending nailing strips 40 carried by the lock. y.

The material described and claimed in the' core Weighing in final cast form approximately twelve pounls per cubic foot can be made by compounding the following substances in substantial'ly the following proportions: lbs. calcined gypsum `(substantiall free of' impurities), 9% lbs. aluminum sulp ate, 4% lbs. calcium carbonate, 1 oz. dry saponin (preferably in solution form), and 4 lbs. talc. The mixture of the aforesaid substances. is gauged properl with water, agitatedfor a short time an then poured into the mold-like wrapper of the block and permitted to set. The solid subst-ances set forth in the above formula may each be added specially to the mix or such of them may be made use of as happen to bespresent in the major ingredient as an' impurity in its native state. Some of the substances may be either added to the mix in the form of a solution previously prepared o r may be added to the compound in avdry Vstate and then the compound added to the water or the water added to the compound, it being immaterial which course is followed.

When my improved block is made in accordance with the methods herein disclosed,

, the fluid mix forming the core, immediately upon being poured, expands and finds its way into every groove, recess or'indentation m the inner surfaces of the walls of the wrapper thereby forcing the sides of V the wrapper against the sidesofthe mold. A block of the desired ,shape and a block wherein an inti- V' mate and secure bond is .present between the core and the wrapper is, therefore, insured. Castingl the core material directly in contact with the inner surfaces of the wrapper avoids any disturbance to the green core when the block is handled in removing it from the mold to the place of drying.` By using greased plates for the bottom of the mold to prevent sticking and by. properv screeding or trowelling of the top surface of the core material,

the block may easily be formed with Smooth surfaces on its bottom andA top endsflwhich are flush with the' ends of the wrapper and true or square with respect to the sides of the block. The surplus moisture 'held mechanically by the core material can/beeliminated easily under suitable conditions due to the apil'lary action of the fibrous side` walls havw mg lntervenin voids or spaces and by the open ends of t e block.

It will be apparent to those skilledin'the g formed, are self-supportin artYthat the manufacture of my improvedl wrapper is placed in the mold. While I have shown and 'described apparatus suitable for making a few blocks at a time, it will be obvious that production can `be carried out on 'a large scale by the provision of apparatus similar to that shown and having several sections, each of which has a number of individual molds or block compartments. In

' such case, while the cores of the blocks in one section are setting and hardening, the wrappers may be inserted in the compartments of another section and the core material poured thereinto. -By the time the pouring of the core material lfor' the blocks in the second section is 'completed and the material screededv or leveledoff', the core'material of the blocks inthe first section will have set and hardened suflicintlyto permit the blocks therein to be removed for dry'ing. In this way one or two men with a mold of small capacity, o r a gang ofl men with a mold of large capacity, may carry on the manufacture of. the blocks 'continuously. t

Blocks may be made of uniform insulation value Vby following the teachings of my invention since the determining factors are easily controlled. Paper or other fibrous material for the' walls of the wrappers of uniform quality, thickness and other desirable characteristics such as proper sZing, ca acity for resisting fire and the absorption o moisture may be easily obtained. The character, porosity and thickness of the cores of the blocks are easily kept within .close limits.. The ma-` terials required for the manufacture ofr the blockV are readily available .at numerousplaces. a z

The blocksare convenient to handle and install due to their light weight. The cost of transporting them is well within permissible' limitsg" lThe blocks may subjected to the,V abuse and knocks inci'dent""to handling audishipping without danger .of breaking them due to their' strong construction and light weight. The'cooperating fibrous sheets comprising the wrapper, one of which is corru- .gated, provide an effective cushion around protect it against shocks andV .strains..

the block 'to While the cellular, light weight, coreof the block is quite fragile, lit is neverthelessf rigid. .Since the core is cast withinv the tube-like wrapper, is bonded thereto in two planos at right angles to each other and completely fills the wrapper, the block is ca;-

Vpable of withstanding severe strains and. Shocks without danger of cracking or break- Jing. The fluid core material, in expanding and completely filling the wrapper, maintains the walls thereof taut and under some tension. The covering of the ,block cannot be peeled back without tearing the walls of the wrappers.

The blocks containing the 'cellular gypsum coresl are highly resistant to fire, they are not subject to dfsintegration and they have no attraction as a breeding place for pests. In view of the character of the cellular core andV the several layers of material present in the walls of the wrappers, with the intervening air spaces between said layers, the blocks are highly lnesistant to the transmission of heat and sound; The plurality of surfaces lon each side or face Vof the block, with their relatively high surface resistance to heat andv sound transmission, enhance materially the insulation effect of the block and also make it possible toreduce the thickness of the core. A

The sound-proofing value of the block is high., due to the several layers of fibrous, soundabsorbfng material in the walls of the wrapper and the intervening air spaces.

The blocks are readily installed in the structure to be insulated. Since the blocks curred and no risk is involved due to residual moisture in the core structures. A

The term block has been used throughout the specification in .a broad sense and as including boards, panels or slabs varying in thickness, width and length, and I desire the term to be so understood and so construed in the appended claims;

I desire to have it understood that my invention is not to be restricted to the use of any `particular type of apparatus for manufacturing .the block, nor to any particular step in carrying out my nffehods of making the block, nor to any particular-form or dimensions of the block, nor to any particular combination of materials used in the core of the block, `except only int-so far as the claims are so limited andso restricted by the state Vof the art, since it is evident that changes may be made in the block, in the methods-of prof'ducing it and' inI the apparatus for manufac-l 'l turing it without departing from tlie spirit of my invention.

`Iclaim:-'- A 1. In a heat 4and sound insulating block, the combination of a tubular wrapper com- .prising oppfositely disposed 'wall V panels hingedly connected .together so as to form a rectangular mold, and a body of light weight",

fragile material resulting from a mixture of calcined gypsum, water, and gas forming and gas retaining ingredients, said body being set andhardened in highly cellular condition in saidwrapper in bonded relationship to its wrapper.

inner faces so as to be looked firmly in position in the wrapper.

2. In a heat and sound insulating block, the combination of a tubular wra per'V comprising angularly disposed wii/il panels hingedly connected together so a to form a mold, and a'body of lightweight, fragile material resulting from a mixture of calcined- 'body of light Weight, fragile material resulting from a mixture of calcined gypsum, vYa- 4 ter, and gas forming and gas retaining mgredients, said body being set and hardened in *highly cellular condition in said wrapper in bonded relationship to-its inner faces and filling irregularities in the inner faces of said wrapper so as to be rigidly anchored in the wrapper by reason of such irregularities..

4. In a heat and sound -insulating block of rectangular shape and greater in length than in Width, the combination of a tubular wrapper comprising angularly disposed wall panels hingedly connected-together so as to form a mold, each of saidpanels comprising an outside portion of plain paper and an inside portion of corrugated paper, said portions being secured together for providing a cushioning and an-insulating effect, the 'corrugations of said inside portion extending longitudinally with respect to the wrapper to reinforce the same, and a bod of light weight, fragile material resulting rom a mixture of calcined gypsum, water, and gas forming and gas retaining ingredients; said body being set and hardened in highly cellular condition Within and about the corrugations of said inside portion thereby securely anchoring the body within its surrounding WILLIAM K. NELSON. 

